Heretofore, spring clutch assemblies of the type having a spring normally engaging two clutch drums so as to transmit torque from one clutch drum to the other and a control sleeve for controlling engagement and disengagement of the spring, could only effect disengagement by arresting rotation of the control sleeve when the drive was only through one particular clutch drum. Such known spring clutch assemblies are exemplified in the U.S. patents to Sacchini, et al, U.S. Pat. No 2,968,380; Tomko, U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,863; Sacchini, U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,751; Baer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,851; and Hoff, U.S. Pat. No. 3,493,088. Also, to effect braking of the driven clutch drum and connected output member, the heretofore known spring clutch assemblies had to employ a separate braking spring as is exemplified in the U.S. patents to Sacchini, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,451,512 and Weatherby, U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,730, or provide a lug and slot interconnection between the driven drum and the control sleeve as exemplified in the U.S. patent to Lowery, U.S. Pat. No. 3,844,390. In addition, in heretofore clutch assemblies, the stop position of the driven drum relative to the driving drum was either factory fixed or required additional parts to provide for field adjustment of the stop position, as for example, the three-piece construction of the driven drum of the spring clutch assembly disclosed in the U.S. patent to Baer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,373,851.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a spring clutch assembly of the normally engaged, control sleeve type which is relatively simple in construction and yet capable of being driven through either of the clutch drums.
It is another object of this invention to provide a spring clutch assembly having a single spring which is capable of arresting rotation of the driven clutch drum in a desired position.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a spring clutch assembly, having a normally engaged spring and a control sleeve for controlling actuation of the spring, which is capable of being driven through either clutch drums as well as capable of disengagement by arresting rotation of the control sleeve and, upon disengagement, stopping rotation of the driven drum, in a predetermined angular position.
It is a feature of this invention that the spring clutch assembly has a single helical spring that is engageable at opposite ends with the control sleeve and that the spring also serves to brake or stop the driven clutch drum in a predetermined angular position when, upon disengagement of the spring, it coasts under dynamic inertia.